Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat’s generous will inspires Chinese mother and daughter to leave assets to the public
- Mother and daughter plan to leave assets to the state on their deaths
- They were inspired by actor Chow’s plan to donate all his estimated US$719 million fortune upon his death
The mother surnamed Lv and the daughter surnamed Ye went to the Second Service Centre of the China Will Registration Centre in Shanghai to make their wills earlier this month, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.
Lv said that she had felt for a long time that it was a pity that no one would inherit the house after her daughter died, as the latter had no partner or children.
She said she does not follow the example of many other Chinese parents who force their children to marry.
It was the daughter who persuaded Lv to donate the property to the government, the report said.
“As I have chosen not to get married, why not donate my assets to the country?” Ye said.
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Ye said her donation decision was also affected by actor Chow’s plan to donate all his assets, estimated to be around US$719 million, upon his death. Chow announced the plan three years ago.
“I am deeply touched. I remember Chow Yun-fat said that a person can not possess his assets for a whole life,” she said. “I hope my property can be donated to the people in need.”
“It’s fine that the authorities will use the house to help poor residents or for other charitable efforts. My mother and I both feel okay,” said Ye.
Both the mother and the daughter made their will on the same day. According to their wills, upon the mother’s death, all her property will be given to the daughter. If the daughter died prior to the mother, her assets would be passed to her mother.
The apartment, owned by the mother and valued at 10 million yuan (US$1.5 million) right now, will be donated to the government after their deaths, an official from the centre told the South China Morning Post on Thursday.
Lv told the Shanghai Morning Post she was happy with the arrangement as she has been concerned about whom to leave her assets to after she and her daughter die.
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The mother and the daughter have received universal praise online after the news of their decision broke this week.
“The mother is so open-minded that she does not intervene in her daughter’s marriage matters. What a great mother and a great daughter they are!” wrote one Weibo user.
“It’s good to donate the house, so that playboys will not approach the daughter only because of the valuable house,” another person commented.
